In many countries of the world democracies are eroding from within. In some countries they are dying. It is a death by a thousand cuts. In the Philippines, journalist Maria Ressa and her team from the news platform Rappler fight against a violent president who executes tens of thousands of people with death squads and turns the country into a dictatorship. Maria is the last woman standing in an unjust war and is being recognized for holding the line against the downfall of democracy by TIME magazine as person of the year in 2018.

Facts, first class journalism and kindness are her defense. She becomes a target of a legal smear campaign by the government and is being imprisoned twice. Duterte weaponizes social media and the law to control the country. Facebook trolls hunt her online and in real life to silence her. The documentary gives a rare behind the scenes access to Maria and her staff and accompanies them over a year during threats to their work and life. Victims of the war, critical politicians in hiding and members of the death squads give insight into the real “war on drugs“ of president Duterte.

“When I look back a decade from now, I want to make sure I have done all I can. We will not duck, we will not hide, we will hold the line.“ - Maria Ressa

BIOGRAPHY Marc Wiese - director

Marc Wiese, born in Dortmund in 1966, has been making documentaries for 25 years and is a member of the Federal Association of Directors. He has worked in many conflict areas around the world and has won numerous international awards for his films, which include KANUN and PICTURE OF NAPALM GIRL.

His film CAMP 14 has received 15 film festival awards and has been shown on NETFLIX, CANAL + and more than 20 countries worldwide and was rated by the BFI as “one of the most important documentaries of our times”.

FESTIVALS & AWARDS

CPH:DOX, F:ACT AWARD Winner, Denmark (2020) World Premiere
Jury statement of CPH:DOX F:act Award jury:
“The CPH:DOX F:act Award goes to the film depicting dark, troubling events in a skillful yet measured way, smartly focusing on just the right situations while employing a precise cinematic language. One that for all the portrayed hardships still manages to transform into a story about the unbreakable human spirit, providing the kind of narrative, and everyday heroes hell-bent on unearthing the truth, that we all desperately need right now. Making the voices of those fighting for the freedom of speech sound loud and clear, giving us hope for the future.”

The F:act Award jury consisted of Israeli filmmaker Shosh Shlam, the Finnish film critic Marta Balaga and Danish director and journalist Nils Giversen.